The Quest: WOW. Stellar route. Truly incredible aesthetic climbing. The moves getting past the first roof after the first sandy ledge was awesome. And the second pitch (belayed from ledge then went for the summit) is easily my favorite pitch in the gorge because of the exposure traversing the roof while underclinging the finger crack then pulling the lip, just incredible! Made it clean to the roof then pulled the lip into the offwidth and began to become showered with water and did the best I could sliding my way up the slime and lichen. Ended up having to bail, just couldn't move up the last offwidth at all after making it up the first 2-3 ft after the lip. Super psyched on that thing, was awesome just "going for it" but will definitely look for a good dry weather opportunity to get that final off-width pitch.

Cool, Jt. When Pearsall and I did the first ascent we also found the final offwidth to be green and slimy, though not really what I'd call wet. Anyway, it had lots of slick green grown on it and I just couldn't get established above the roof without pulling up on a big hex that I was able to place overhead. Though we got to the top that day, I was living in Colorado at the time and never went back to the gorge to bag the FFA. No big deal, but I've regretted that decision to this day. I think it was five years later that Souders and company freed the last section.

LK Day wrote:Cool, Jt. When Pearsall and I did the first ascent we also found the final offwidth to be green and slimy, though not really what I'd call wet. Anyway, it had lots of slick green grown on it and I just couldn't get established above the roof without pulling up on a big hex that I was able to place overhead. Though we got to the top that day, I was living in Colorado at the time and never went back to the gorge to bag the FFA. No big deal, but I've regretted that decision to this day. I think it was five years later that Souders and company freed the last section.

Larry, if you ever decided to write a book on the early exploits in the Red River Gorge a la Steve Roper did for Yosemite in his book Camp IV I would find it hard to believe that it wouldn't sell... Granted I can't speak for anyone other than myself, but I can't get enough of that shit!

I fell for the everyone-shut-up-and-ill-donate-money scheme. -Ray Ellington, guidebook gawd

My name is Sam Douglass and I love to pose for photo shoots holding on to a jug with only one hand (and no feet!) with my best friend Ian.